One year ago today

One year ago today, I was finally over the panic of waiting for immigration to go through on John and Charlton. It didn't hit me until last night that on May 12, 2005 they had their interview at the US Embassy in London. It's amazing that I carried so much stress with me for 11 months and survived. So, on this, the anniversary of the interview, I will now post the timeline.. oh, and a small glossary. With all of the immigration hubub going on here, this is what it took, in our case, to come over legally!

RFE = request for further evidence (aka wait longer than you should for a mistake that someone looking through your paperwork usually makes - sometimes its you, but in our case, it was someone else )

I-130 - petition for relative CR1 visa (greencard)
I-129F- petition for K3 visa
I-864 - financial evidence
DS-3032- paper that says to send me all paperwork
DS-230- Biographical information (the last bit of paperwork.. big deal when you get to this stage)
AOS- Adjustment of Status
VSC- Vermont Service Center
NVC - National Visa Center


6/14/2004 - married in Scotland
--------------VSC----------------------------------------
6/21/2004- sent 1-130 for John (was told I didn't have to for Charlton)
6/28/04- NOA1 for I-130 (they got it and its in a pile somewhere)
6/29/04- sent I-129F
7/01/04 - found out via congressman to get a I-130 in for Charlton
7/06/04- sent I-130 for Charlton
7/10/04 - I-130 for Charlton arrives (overnight mail, my ass!)
8/11/04- John's petition approved (where's Charlton's approval????)
9/3/04- RFE for Charlton (birth certificate)
----------------------NVC TIMELINE------------------------------
9/3/04- Case number assigned for John
9/24/04- DS-3032 sent for John
10/7/04- Charlton's I-130 approved
11/10/04- case number assigned for Charlton
12/7/04- AOS fee (both J&C) sent and DS-3032 sent overnight
12/26/04- Visa fee sent
1/4/05- I864 for both J&C sent.. COMPLETED. NOTHING is missing.
1/30/05- DS 230's sent to NVC!
2/4/05 - Black day... 2 RFE's on the I-864's. They said that I did not include my W2's for either packet... WRONG.
2/4/05- FED EX Tax forms to NVC
2/11/05- John's tax forms there... but they "don't have a set for Charlton" - bullshit
2/14/05- I fed ex another set of tax forms, as well as Congressman Weldon's office
2/16/05- Charlton's tax forms there
2/21/05- Congressman Weldon's office tells me to be patient.. then told me that the person at the NVC probably didn't even look at the packets, and that they didn't "feel" thick enough. grrrr
3/7/05- found out both cases were complete!
---------------------US EMBASSY-----------------------------------------
3/18/05 - Cases sent to LONDON
4/12/05- email confirming interview for 5/12
5/04/05- medical in Edinburgh..
5/12/05 - successful interview!

If you can survive that, you can get through almost anything!!!!!